Circuit breaker



June 28 1927. 1;633,969

. C. AALBORG CIRCUIT BREAKER FiledMarch 15, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESSES: INVENTOR C/m'sf/an Aa/bor' BY 9 Q m ATTORN EY Filed March 15, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES:

ATTdRNEY Patented June 28, 1927.

UNITED STATES 1,633,969 PATENT OFFICE.

CHRISTIAN AALBCRG, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTING- HOUSE ELECTBIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA.

cmovrr BREAKER.

Application filed latch 15, 1922. Serial No. 543,909.

My invention relates to circuit breakers and particularly to the form and general arrangement of relatively movable contact members and the mechanism associated there- 5. with.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and effective form of breaker whereportion to which an arcing tip 25 is secured y means of screws 26, It will be observed that the contact surfaces of the arcing tips 25 do not extend beyond the bridging member and that the arcing tips 25 are movable 60 with the bridging member into and out of engagement with the flexibly supported in certain of the magnetic forces set up duryieldlng contact members 14.

ingthe passage of current through the conductors and contact members are utilized to secure a more eflfective engagement between the relatively movable contact members, and to provide an improved form and arrangement of auxiliary contact members or arcing tips.

' As shown in the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a view, in side elevation, of a ortion of a circuit breaker in which my invention is embodied. I

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the breaker shown in Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are plan and side elevation a1 views, respectively, of one of the arcing tips which I employ in my invention.

The device comprises two pairs of conductors 5 and 6, the conductors 5 being rovided with main stationary contact mem ers 7 and the conductors 6 with main stationary contact members 8. A bridgingmember 9 is operated by lifting rods 10 to open and close the circuit across the contact members 7 and 8.

The construction of the contact members 7 and 8 is identical, so that a description of one will suflice for both. Likewise, the construction of the main bridging member 9 is the same at both of its ends. 1 The contact members 8 serve as one pole of the circuit breaker and the contact members 7 constitute the other pole thereof. A cross-bar 12 is secured to the members 8 by screws 13 and serves as a support for the stationary arcing tips 14 that are carried by flexible members 15 through which'a bolt 4 16 extends to secure them to the bar 12. Yielding members 17 .serve to normal 1y bias the tips 14 toward each other.

The bridging member 9 comprises side plates 18, between which brush members 19 6 are located, and a metal castin 20. Brush members 19 are securely clam ed between the plates 18 and the casting 20, y the bolts 22, and the bridging structure is sup orted from the lifting rods 10 by bolts 23. e casting 20 is provided at each end with a shelf-like Thearcing tips 14 and 25 function in the usual manner, .to prevent the formation of arcs across the brid ing member 9 and statlonary contact mem ers 7 and 8 upon their separation.

Assuming current to be flowing downwardly through the conductors 6, across the bridging member 9 and upwardly through. the conductors 5, it will be seen that such current traverses two arallel paths and that the conductor mem ers through which the current passes in traveling such paths are, therefore, attacted to each other. This action tends to bias the flared portion of the brush members 19 of the bridging member 9 toward each other, thus effecting a firmer en-, gagement between such flared portions-and the stationary contact members 7 and 8.

It is well known that, as the current through the conductors 5 and 6 is traveling in opposite directions, opposing magnetic forces are set up that tend to distort-the flexible brush members and to break engagement between such brush members and the stationary contact members 7 and 8. This force is neutralized by the magnetic attraction of the divided brush members for each other, the flared portions being thereby biased inwardly, as above described.

It will be further observed that, by reason of the space provided between the flared portions of the brush members 19 of the' bridgin member 9, I am enabled to locate the arcing tips 25 betweensuch flared portions and to thereby materially shorten the overall len h of the bridging member that is ordinari y required in circuit breakers of the liquid type. The double-path construction of conductors permits the location of the stationary ,arcing tips 14 therebetween, in a position to co-operate with the movable arcing tips 25.

Various modifications and changes may be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

The oppositely flared contact laminations 1 shown in this case constitute an invention claimed in my copending application 448,272.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination, in a circuit breaker, of a pair of conductors provided with a stationary contact member constituting one pole of the breaker, a similar pair of conuctors and contact member constituting another pole of the breaker, a bridging member provided with a pair of transversely flared portions, arcing tips located between such flared portions, and an arcing tip carried by each of the said conductors for cooperating with the last named arcin tips.

2. The combination, in a circuit ireaker, of a divided conductor provided with spaced contact surfaces, an arcing tip located between such surfaces, a relatively movable contact member provided with oppositely flared engaging surfaces and an arcing tip locatedbetween such surfaces in a position to be engaged by the first mentioned arcing ti 23. The combination, in a circuit breaker, of a divided conductor provided with spaced contact surfaces, an arcing tip located be tween such surfaces, a relatively movable contact member provided with oppositely disposed yielding engaging surfaces, and an arcing ti located between such surfaces in a position to be engaged by the first mentioned arcing tip.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 10th day of March,

CI-mISTIAN AALBORG. 

